One of the keys to success in the retail world is stocking your shelves with products your customers want to buy, rather than products you want to sell. This might seem like a semantic distinction, but it is of crucial importance. Many retailers hold on to old inventory far too long, hoping to sell it Read More …
A great retail business can suffer at the hands of unhappy and unproductive employees. Without their consistent efforts on a day-to-day basis, everything else you do in your retail store can take a backseat. After all, if customers think they will receive poor service or run into rude employees, they will avoid your store. There Read More …
Your brand is your reputation. The visual elements are those aspects that communicate your values. Logos, fonts and colors are the fundamental building blocks of creating a reliable DNA for your brand, but they are only the beginning. It bears repeating: shoppers choose brands they trust. Maintaining consistency is paramount to this effort. For instance, Read More …
A well-designed retail space not only engages shoppers, but also can enhance sales. Critical to this success is the placement of checkout counters. Checkout is the last step in your customers’ shopping experience. This has led many retailers to devote considerable time and effort to strategically positioning their registers. Williams-Sonoma, for example, places their counters Read More …
Shopping with kids in tow can be a challenge—even for the most easygoing parent. Fussy kids can often lead a mom or dad to beat a swift retreat to the nearest exit. When that happens, parents lose productivity and retailers lose sales. Smart retailers, however, have caught on that integrating kid-friendly features into their space Read More …
Vaping is an industry that is on fire. Currently, there are between 6,000 and 7,000 vape shops in the U.S.—not counting smoke shops, convenience stores and other hybrid outlets that also sell vape products. This number is not expected to shrink anytime soon. Distilling the Numbers As the number of tobacco smokers continues to decline, Read More …
Are you worried about customers walking into stores in early autumn and looking for pumpkins, only to cringe when they see Christmas displays? Forget about it! It is common knowledge that retailers have begun putting out Christmas decorations sooner and sooner every year. It may seem too early in some cases, but retailers benefit from Read More …
For those who wonder if Halloween is growing in popularity each year, the answer is a resounding yes. Based on consumer spending alone, there is no doubt an increasing number of Americans are opening their wallets and getting into the Halloween spirit more than ever before. Spooky? Scary? Hardly. How much do consumers spend during Read More …
When customers and prospective customers walk into or pass by your store, you only have a split second to impress them and grab their attention. One of the best ways to reach them is with attractive retail signs. Signage plays a critical role in representing your brand and, in essence, explaining to the customers what Read More …
It’s not uncommon to spot Halloween and fall merchandise on the sales floor by September 1st. For most store owners, managers and employees, this incites a sense of pressure and anxiety for the upcoming holiday season. There are simple steps and action plans you and your team can take to ensure you are prepared for Read More …